L GARDNER AND SONS LTD

'L Gardner and Sons Ltd' was a well-known British builder of diesel engines for stationary, marine, road and rail applications.

Contents

Origin

Gas and diesel engines

Automotive engines

Post-war diesels

Gardner Parts

Sources

External links

Origin

About 1873 Lawrence Gardner set up as a sewing machine maker in Upper Duke Street, Stretford Road, Hulme, Manchester. By 1888 the firm was trading as L. Gardner and Sons. Lawrence Gardner died in 1890 but the business was continued by his sons.

Gas and diesel engines

From about 1895 the company was building gas engines and, in 1899 it moved into Barton Hall Engine Works, Patricroft, Manchester.
In 1903 it became a limited company, L Gardner and Sons Ltd. Norris and Henty Ltd, of London, were appointed as sales agents.
Diesel engine production began in around 1903. In 1912 a new sales subsidiary, Norris, Henty and Gardners Ltd, was formed.
During World War I (1914-1918) the company made munitions, parts for heavy guns and engines for tanks.

Automotive engines

During the 1920s there was rapid development in the design of diesel engines. In 1929 a Gardner "4L2" marine engine was fitted into a Lancia bus. This conversion was successful and prompted Gardner to introduce the "LW" series of diesel engines, designed especially for road vehicles.
During World War II (1939-1945) Gardner's war work consisted mainly of building diesel engines of their own design.

Post-war diesels

After the war the "LW" diesel engine continued to be built in large numbers for lorries and buses and was later supplemented by the more modern "LX". The larger "6L3" and "8L3" engines were used in railway locomotives, such as British Rail Class 01 and British Rail Class 04.

Gardner Parts

L Gardner and Sons Ltd ceased to trade in the early 1990s. Today Gardner Parts Limited supply genuine Gardner engine parts worldwide.
Obsolete Gardner engine parts are currently being manufactured by Gardner Enthusiast [1] Gardner Enthusiast manufacture piston rings, engine valves and major engine castings. Currently cast marine manifolds are in production by this small dedicated team of Mechanical Engineers.

Sources

★ See external links

External links

★ The History of L. Gardner & Sons Ltd

★ Gardner Enthusiast Obsolete Parts

★ Gardner Marine Diesels